Matt Hasselbeck at 40, Looking to Go 5-0 and Make NFL History as Starter

At the age of 40 years old, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is already the 1st quarterback in NFL history to win his 1st 4 consecutive starts (4-0):

If he has his way on Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he’ll get to extend that streak to 5-0. The 17-year veteran has kept the Colts afloat atop the AFC South in Andrew Luck‘s absence, completing 97 of 150 pass attempts for 7 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, and a passer rating of 94.4.

Nov 29, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) salutes the fans by raising his helmet as he runs off the field after the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis defeats Tampa Bay 25-12. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The 40 year old has shown considerable poise in the pocket, made accurate throws, and most importantly, kept the turnovers down to a minimum in his 4 starts.

While other teams have seen their seasons seemingly destroyed by starting quarterback injuries (See: Cowboys, Dallas), Hasselbeck has kept the Colts playoff hopes alive, by going undefeated in relief of Luck.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s no quarterback controversy in Indianapolis, as the only controversy should be whether “the fountain of youth” exists and how Hasselbeck managed to successfully find it at 40 years old.

However, he’ll face perhaps his biggest challenge on Sunday night, as the Colts will be on the road to play the 6-5 Steelers. It’s not that Pittsburgh has the “steel curtain” defense of yesteryear, as much as it will be that he’ll likely be required to put up a high number of points in order for the Colts to actually win.

Facing Ben Roethlisberger–who threw for 522 passing yards and 6 touchdowns last time these two teams met last season, Hasselbeck will likely be called upon to air out the football a bit more and open up the playbook, especially with starting running back Frank Gore seemingly “banged up“.

Either way, with Luck down, the fact that Hasselbeck has allowed this matchup to remain very much a meaningful late regular season game between two 6-5 teams, speaks dividends to his work ethic, longevity, and will to win.

The Colts will be hoping “the old man” can keep his win streak alive.

Nov 29, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) runs off the field after the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indianapolis defeats Tampa Bay 25-12. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports